fighting each other," he said, solemnly, "we are
still brothers. God forgive me if I have done wrong! I too am a northern
man,--I too----"

As he spoke, a figure in the uniform of his foes sprang through the crowd
to his feet.

"O, my brother! O, my brother George!"

It was Frank Manly, who knelt, and with passionate grief clasped the hand
that had clasped his in fondness and merry sport so often in the happy
days of his childhood, when neither ever dreamed of their unnatural
separation and this still more unnatural meeting.

"Frank! my little brother! so grown! is it you?" said the wounded
captive, with dreamy surprise.

"O George! how could you?" Frank began, with anguish in his voice. But he
checked himself; he would not reproach his dying brother.

"My wife, you know!" was all the unhappy young man could murmur. He
looked at Frank with a faint and ever fainter smile of love, till his
eyes grew dim. "I am going, Frank. It is all wrong--I know now--but it is
too late. Tell mother----"

His words became inaudible, and he sank, swooning, in Captain Edney's
arms.

"What, George? what shall I tell mother?" pleaded Frank, in an agony.

"And father too," said the dying lips, in a moment of reviving
recollection. "And my sisters----" But the message was never uttered.

"George! O, George! I am here! Don't you see me?"

The dim eyes opened; but they saw not.

"Carry me up stairs! Let me die in the old room--our room, Frank."

It was evident his mind was wandering; he fancied himself once more at
home, and wished to be laid in the little chamber where he used to sleep
with Frank, as Frank had slept with Willie in later days.

"Kiss me, mother!" The ashen face smiled; then the light faded from it;
and the lips, grown cold and numb, murmured softly, "It is growing
dark--Good night!"

And he slept--the sleep of eternity.

When Frank rose up from the corpse he had mastered himself. Then Captain
Edney saw, what none had noticed before, that blood was streaming down
his arm--the same arm that had been grazed before; this time it had been
shot through.

"You are wounded!"

"Yes--but not much. I must go--let me go and take care of Atwater!"

"But you need taking care of yourself!"--for he was deadly pale.

"No, sir--I--Abe, there----"

Even as the boy was speaking he grew dizzy and fell fainting in his
captain's arms.

XXXII.

AFTER THE BATTL